Originally Posted by
greattypo
1) Is there any way to know our current position on the upgrade list, this far in advance of check-in?
No; nor would it really help, because the list is prioritized by status, so someone with a higher status could buy a ticket tomorrow and leap ahead of both of you.
Originally Posted by
greattypo
2) I understand we're hoping for "PZ" inventory. When does United add more PZ? Is it realistic to hope they would open 2+ PZ seats at a time?
United will add PZ inventory when they do not think that they can sell all of their available inventory. It's pretty much as simple as that -- if the sales drop below their expectations, they'll eventually release discount inventory, and, if you get lucky, eventually all the way down to PZ. (Note that if your generous friend has Global Services status, you're actually looking for PN, which will open before PZ will. 1K GPUs do come out of PZ, however). And, yes, they will sometimes open more than one PZ at a time. However, if they only open PZ1, it's possible that you will be bypassed by someone with only a single passenger.
Originally Posted by
greattypo
3) Let's say it's T-24 and we're still not upgraded. Is our best strategy to delay check-in to the last possible minute (so our records stay together)? Or by not checking in, would we be excluded from the upgrade possibilities opening up in that final 24 hour window (perhaps controlled by gate agents)?
Yes, you should delay check-in as long as possible in order to keep your records together. The systems that clear upgrades automatically will still consider you, even though you're not checked in.
Originally Posted by
greattypo
4) Say we're not upgraded T-24, we check in and our PNRs split, and then only 1 of us gets upgraded -- at that point could we "refuse" the upgrade so we could sit together? Or would we have to negotiate that situation ourselves with our fellow passengers?
Generally, yes, although if the flight is full, it can be a hassle and the gate agent may tell you to figure it out on the plane.
If you find yourself in that situation, the best time to handle it is in advance. Find the gate agent and say something like, "Hi, I'm <greattypo>, and we're
#1 and
#2 on the upgrade list. We'd prefer to stay together, so if only one seat is available, I'd rather just sit in economy." It's not foolproof -- another gate agent might process upgrades without asking the person that you talked to -- but it'll help.
As for the availability: seat maps can be misleading, because not everyone selects a seat during the booking process. Check the flight inventory in Expert Mode. The closer it gets to PZ, the better. (J9 C9 D0 is bad. J9 C9 D9 Z9 P9 PN9 PZ0 is as good as it gets without PZ actually being open).